1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the input of symbols, such as letters and numbers, into a user interface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Methods and devices for inputting symbols into a user interface (UI) are well known and ubiquitous in society. Examples of such input systems include the use of QWERTY keyboards with personal computers, television remote controls with televisions, number pads with mobile phones, and displayed keys on touch-screen devices, to name a few. The first three above examples are systems utilizing separate input and display devices, whereas touch-screen devices utilize a single device (the screen) to serve as both the input device and the display device. Further, display devices are in some instances not necessary, as it is possible for data to be entered but not displayed.
Current methods and devices for inputting symbols into a UI are often tedious, time-consuming, complicated, and/or generally undesirable. While prevalent in society, the organization of the QWERTY keyboard is confusing and, to most people, illogical. Further, as is also the case with many touch-screen devices which show a keyboard, a QWERTY keyboard has a myriad of different keys which can be pressed, often including over 100 different keys and over 300 key combinations.
On the other end of the spectrum, television data entry systems often include a limited number of keys that can actually be pressed. A common keyboard layout on a television display is also fairly logical, as it is organized in alphabetical rows as shown in FIG. 11. However, attempting to enter data using this system is very tedious and time-consuming. A user must use keys to navigate the display keyboard, and often times must press one or more keys six, seven, or even more times in order to input a desired letter. For example and with respect to FIG. 11, for a user to enter the letter “T” after entering the letter “A”, both of which are very common letters, a user must press the “right” key five times, the “down” key twice, and the “enter” key once, for a total of eight key entries.
Many have studied the frequency with which letters appear in the English language. Although studies differ slightly, results from a reputable study by the University of Cornell are shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. As can be seen, the letter “E” has a frequency almost three percentage points greater than any other letter. The next eight letters (“T”, “A”, “O”, “I”, “N”, “S”, “R”, and “H”) are all within about three percentage points of frequency of one another; after “H”, the next letter “D” is about 1.5 percentage points of frequency lower. The frequency with which English alphabet letters appear in a variety of other Latin languages is shown in FIG. 14. At least one study has also shown that a “space” is more common than the letter “E”.